Navy Seal Dad. Metsy Hingle

      “Your Son?” Mac Repeated.

      Rachel hiked up her chin. “That’s right,” she told him. “My son.”

      Still reeling from the shock of discovering Rachel had a child, Mac looked from her to the dark-haired boy in her arms and back again. Rachel’s son and his, Mac realized as he stared into eyes identical to his own.

      He had a son. A son!

      Suddenly shock gave way to temper as the reality of the situation hit him. He kept his eyes trained on Rachel’s face. And even though he already suspected he knew the answer, he asked her anyway, “How old is he?”

      “He’s eighteen months.”

      Mac didn’t have to be a math wizard to figure out that Rachel had been pregnant when he had left New Orleans. Had she known then? Doing his best to control the emotions slamming through him, Mac, said, “Which means that he’s mine. I’m his father.”

      Dear Reader,

      Ring in the New Year with the hottest new love stories from Silhouette Desire! The Redemption of Jefferson Cade by BJ James is our MAN OF THE MONTH. In this latest installment of MEN OF BELLE TERRE, the youngest Cade overcomes both external and internal obstacles to regain his lost love. And be sure to read the launch book in Desire’s first yearlong continuity series, DYNASTIES: THE CONNELLYS. In Tall, Dark & Royal, bestselling author Leanne Banks introduces a prominent Chicago family linked to European royals.

      Anne Marie Winston offers another winner with Billionaire Bachelors: Ryan, a BABY BANK story featuring twin babies. In The Tycoon’s Temptation by Katherine Garbera, a jaded billionaire discovers the greater rewards of love, while Kristi Gold’s Dr. Dangerous discovers he’s addicted to a certain physical therapist’s personal approach to healing in this launch book of Kristi’s MARRYING AN M.D. miniseries. And Metsy Hingle bring us Navy SEAL Dad, a BACHELORS & BABIES story.

      Start the year off right by savoring all six of these passionate, powerful and provocative romances from Silhouette Desire!

      Enjoy!

      Joan Marlow Golan

      Senior Editor, Silhouette Desire

      Navy SEAL Dad

      Metsy Hingle

      METSY HINGLE

      celebrated her tenth book for Silhouette with the publication of The Baby Bonus. Metsy is an award-winning, bestselling author of romance who resides across the lake from her native New Orleans. Married for more than twenty years to her own hero, she is the busy mother of four children. She recently traded in her business suits and a fast-paced life in the hotel and public-relations arena to pursue writing full-time. Metsy has a strong belief in the power of love and romance. She also believes in happy endings, which she continues to demonstrate with each new story she writes. She loves hearing from readers. For a free doorknob hanger or bookmark, write to Metsy at P.O. Box 3224, Covington, LA 70433.

      For Nancy Wagner, aka Hailey North

       Friend and Cohort in Fun, Foolishness and Mischief

      Contents

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      One

      He was back!

      Rachel Grant’s heart slammed against her chest as she stared at the back of the tall, dark-haired man in Navy dress whites standing at the nurses’ station. Barely able to breathe, she stood frozen outside of the hospital room she’d been about to enter. Lifting her gaze from the wide shoulders that spanned the military jacket, she noted the wave of jet black hair at his nape that defied the close-cropped style.

      Sweet heavens, it was Mac!

      But it couldn’t be Mac, she reasoned as she tried to quell her racing pulse. The last she’d heard, Lieutenant Commander Pete “Mac” McKenna was a million miles away in one of those foreign countries with an unpronounceable name doing his macho Navy SEAL thing. Besides even if Mac were stateside again, he wouldn’t return to New Orleans. Why should he? He’d made it painfully clear two years ago that a long-term relationship with her didn’t fit in with his plans. A sharp pain sliced through Rachel at the memory of what a fool she had made of herself over Mac McKenna. Even after all this time, her blindness where he had been concerned still smarted. Thank heavens for pride, she thought. It was all that had saved her from making an even bigger fool of herself and pleading with him not to shut her out of his life.

      At the ding of the elevator Rachel gave her head a shake and dragged her thoughts away from the past. Dismissing the notion that the man was Mac, she chided herself silently for the foolish lapse. Of course the man wasn’t Mac. It had been the uniform and dark hair that had thrown her off. That and the bout of nerves she’d been battling since Alex had begun dropping hints about marriage. It was only natural that thoughts of marriage would cause her to think of Mac. After all, there had been a time not very long ago when she had hoped that he would be asking her to marry him.

      She pressed a fist to her breast, hating the fact that even after more than two years, Mac’s not wanting her could still cause her pain. Irritated with herself, Rachel scowled. She had more important things to do than mull over her failed relationship with Mac McKenna, she reminded herself. Important things like her job—which included reassuring Mr. Goldblum about his gall bladder surgery in the morning. Snatching the patient chart and clipboard from the door, Rachel scanned the doctor’s notes.

      “I’m looking for one of your nurses—Rachel Grant. I was told I could find her up here.”

      The air backed up in Rachel’s lungs at the sound of that deep, rumbling voice. And for the space of a heartbeat she couldn’t breathe. Her heart racing, she swung her gaze back to the Navy officer. No! It couldn’t be Mac. Not now. Not after all this time.

      “She’s probably in with a patient at the moment. Is there something I can help you with?”

      “Then she does still work here?”

      Dear God, it was Mac!

      In her distress she must have made some sound, Rachel realized. Or maybe Mac simply had sensed her presence as he’d always had such an uncanny knack for doing in the past. Whatever the reason, Rachel stood frozen as he whirled around and looked in her direction.

      “Rachel!”

      She could feel the blood drain from her cheeks as she saw his face—the face that had haunted her for all those months after he’d gone. Too stunned to move, she simply stood there and stared at him. He hasn’t changed. The ridiculous thought flitted through her brain as he started toward her. Same stubborn jaw. Same sharp cheekbones. Same sexy mouth that had been able to make her toes curl when he smiled at her. The way he was smiling at her now.

      “Rach, I can’t believe I actually found you,” he said, skimming his gaze over her like a jungle cat who was sizing up his next meal. Trapped in the intensity of his blue eyes, Rachel didn’t even realize Mac had reached for her until she found herself wrapped in his arms.

      “God…it’s so good to see you again. And you look…you look wonderful.”

      “I…so do you,” she replied, too shaken to even